and great point Shot and Fletch, Bergeron and Julien both said it why aren't you guys jumping at them ??? Posted by BsLegion

Julien is considered management. He's not a coach that's as close to his players like Cherry was. Bergeron also said things much differently & said Paille didn't mean to do it! He didn't slam the guys character in the process of what he said. I'm not condoning AF with saying something. It's what he said that I feel is wrong. Bergeron said what he felt without slamming the guy & said things very carefully. Bergeron also is someone who has a personal feeling on the issue because of what he's been thru. That makes things different as well.

Anyway i don't think it'll kill the locker room, or divide it. It's over & done with, move on & worry about how the teams playing & fix the dam PP is a much bigger issue!

In Response to Re: Ference- Good Cop / Bad Team Mate : Julien is considered management. He's not a coach that's as close to his players like Cherry was. Bergeron also said things much differently & said Paille didn't mean to do it! He didn't slam the guys character in the process of what he said. I'm not condoning AF with saying something. It's what he said that I feel is wrong. Bergeron said what he felt without slamming the guy & said things very carefully. Bergeron also is someone who has a personal feeling on the issue because of what he's been thru. That makes things different as well. Anyway i don't think it'll kill the locker room, or divide it. It's over & done with, move on & worry about how the teams playing & fix the dam PP is a much bigger issue!Posted by nitemare-38

Ferrence said Paille didn't mean to do it also. He said he (Paille) felt terrible about it. He said it is a tough check to make in that position without being blindside. Ferrence certainly did not "slam the guys character". Did you read the quotes?

I think the difference between the Ferrence quote and the Bergeron quote is minimal at best. Both guys admit it was a bad hit. That's all.

Can’t believe I am disagreeing with dez and cowboys in the same thread. Two of my favorite posters, so maybe I’m wrong…but nonetheless… I think that Milbury and Cherry are entertainers with a good deal of knowledge of the game, but also have some very dumb and stone-aged perspectives on a lot of different issues. I recall Cherry’s idiotic rant against Lucic last year for apparently bailing on a fight with Colton Orr after being slugged squarely in the nose by one of the toughest guys in the NHL. The more intelligent question to ask would be “why on earth is the Bruins #1 LW fighting Colton Orr to begin with?” But no, Cherry and Milbury both stated a preference for Lucic to ‘hang in’ and continue to be pummeled rather than show any weakness by having the refs break it up. That’s an easy call from the press box. It would be a very stupid one from the ice. I think Milbury and Cherry come off the same way on the Ference thing – outdated, good ‘ol boy rhetoric, and desperately beholden to “the code” (which becomes more and more enigmatic everyday). First of all, I just don’t think the whole thing was a big deal. If the Bruins dressing room is having problems because of that, then they need to focus a little more on the actual hockey and instead of acting like teenage girls taking sides against each other. Work it out. Secondly Ference only stated (in a fairly gentle way) what is obvious to anyone who saw the hit. It was bad. It was blindside. The player was hurt. Ference is sharing a locker room with a couple of guys who have nearly had their career ended by bad hits – don’t make him play weasel by pretending it was a clean hit. He is showing respect to those guys by taking the issue seriously and honestly. I remember how appreciative I was of other players around the NHL, including Cooke’s teammates, who called a spade a spade with the Cooke hit. Ference was directly asked for his opinion and he gave it. In the age of publicists, political correctness, and total press conference phonies, it was refreshing to me. He and Paille need to drink a beer and move on. Cherry and Milbury ought to find an actual hockey story to talk about.Posted by Fletcher1

As I stated before, I do believe this is a bit blown out of proportion. I also agree with most of what you said above. It shouldn't be a big deal in the dressing room.I really don't think it was a blindside hit though. Obviously we have a problem, and the league must do something, however I don't think the punishment fits the crime. I also think Ference said more than he should have. At the time of his interview(between periods) he wouldn't have had much of an opportunity to have a hard look at the footage.Not a huge issue, but I guess we disagree.Moving forward, it could be argued that some "archaic code" might be the best way to get this stuff out of the league. It works pretty well in other instances. For whatever reason, players are getting seriously injured more often now, than ever, and it appears the urge to "nail" someone will have to be curbed. The game is faster, the players are stronger, and it appears to me, the game can't continue to be played the way it has been. The term "clean hit' is a moving target. Just a year ago, Cooke's was deemed that, and now Paille's isn't. Looking back just a few years ago, how many players did Stevens end with so called clean hits.The rules are changing, but the culture has to change too. Simply put, it appears the players have to look out for each other a little more than they used to.

Oops... didn't complete the thought Milbury and Cherry (amongst other media people - read: those who are OUT of the game yet desperately want to cling to relativity) are just trying to make noise and keep the gigs rolling in. The more outrageous and controversial, the better it is for their bank accounts. As for what Ference actually said - "I'm sure he'll be talking with the league" .. what is wrong about that? We're in the midst of a season where the league is focusing on hits to the head. Of course he's going to have a talk with the league, he was tossed from the game for it when it happened. The idea that the league added any games to his suspension or what Ference said tipped them off to anything they weren't aware of - as some have proposed - is ludicrious . It's absolute hogwash and only comes from an view point of personal dislike of Ference... FINALLY , Paille is a marginal NHL player at best... if anyone should be removed from the team due to some nonsensical disagreement it should be him. This is the perfect excuse. He's constantly getting ripped on these boards for his terrible play... Good riddance, I say.Posted by BuzzardBoots

Please read your post again !! You wouldn't have any "personal dislike" for Paille now would you? Priceless !

In Response to Re: Ference- Good Cop / Bad Team Mate : Lets just say your at a family function and a family member does something that you dont think is right, do you speak your mind in front of everybody thus causing ripples OR do you wait call the guy aside and talk to him like a mature adult would?? weather your right or wrong as soon as you speak up that puts you in the wrong two there is a time and place for speaking your mind and there is no code its plain and simply called RESPECT if not for the one your mad at atleast show it for the other people around the circumstance thus not putting them on the spot and making them feel uncomfortable about what was said. its very clear weather you like it or not what AF did was very unproffessional and selfish. Posted by uppercut

What an awful comparison. Do I really need to respond?

EVERYBODY SAW THE HIT. There was nothing to hide or deny. Ference kind of shrugged and said "yeah, it was bad right?" Like...what do you want me to say? He probably should have said "no comment" but that's a cop-out so he answered the question. He wasn't exposing anything, Paille had already been kicked out of the game, in case there was any doubt that it was a bad hit.

If my wife tipped over the punch bowl at the "family function" with 50 people watching, and then somebody asked me what happened to the punch bowl, I would not deny it or say 'no comment'.

Can’t believe I am disagreeing with dez and cowboys in the same thread. Two of my favorite posters, so maybe I’m wrong…but nonetheless… I think that Milbury and Cherry are entertainers with a good deal of knowledge of the game, but also have some very dumb and stone-aged perspectives on a lot of different issues. I recall Cherry’s idiotic rant against Lucic last year for apparently bailing on a fight with Colton Orr after being slugged squarely in the nose by one of the toughest guys in the NHL. The more intelligent question to ask would be “why on earth is the Bruins #1 LW fighting Colton Orr to begin with?” But no, Cherry and Milbury both stated a preference for Lucic to ‘hang in’ and continue to be pummeled rather than show any weakness by having the refs break it up. That’s an easy call from the press box. It would be a very stupid one from the ice. I think Milbury and Cherry come off the same way on the Ference thing – outdated, good ‘ol boy rhetoric, and desperately beholden to “the code” (which becomes more and more enigmatic everyday). First of all, I just don’t think the whole thing was a big deal. If the Bruins dressing room is having problems because of that, then they need to focus a little more on the actual hockey and instead of acting like teenage girls taking sides against each other. Work it out. Secondly Ference only stated (in a fairly gentle way) what is obvious to anyone who saw the hit. It was bad. It was blindside. The player was hurt. Ference is sharing a locker room with a couple of guys who have nearly had their career ended by bad hits – don’t make him play weasel by pretending it was a clean hit. He is showing respect to those guys by taking the issue seriously and honestly. I remember how appreciative I was of other players around the NHL, including Cooke’s teammates, who called a spade a spade with the Cooke hit. Ference was directly asked for his opinion and he gave it. In the age of publicists, political correctness, and total press conference phonies, it was refreshing to me. He and Paille need to drink a beer and move on. Cherry and Milbury ought to find an actual hockey story to talk about.Posted by Fletcher1

Right back at ya Fletch.. I also enjoy reading your posts and Dez as well.. even the odd time I tend to agree with NAS !! I know I should be committed to the asylum:) LOL.. I respect your opinions and in the end that is what we all like about this Bruins forum... It would be awfully boring around here if we all shared the same views .. I guess I am like Cherry and Milbury.. old school.. You stick up for your team mate no matter what and let due process takes its course...

Now have to get back to see the new sitcom " Kessel loves Wilson" also starring Brian Burke..This one should be an Emmy performance..

It was Garth Snow that signed the contract, not Milbury, and the deal, as with most of the extremely long-term deals, have been widely panned. No, Milbury's GM days are more lovelingly remembered on Long Island for the Yashin trade and subsequent long-term desaster of a deal, Dealing Luongo for a couple of second-line wingers so he could draft Dipietro instead of Heatly, and many more gems. But since you don't know who made the deal, and actually seem to think it's a good one, maybe Milbury does actually have greater hockey knowledge than yourself. Nonetheless, Paille knows he broke the guy's nose, everyone knows it was a hit to the head, and it broke the rules, just as a trip or fight... it's pretty well defined. Hockey players aren't cavemen, they have brains, and unlike what Don and Mike said, there isn't going to be some crazy freak-out in the Bruins dressing room. Ference spoke out in support of what almost everyone wants - less concussions - and I'm sure all the guys are having fun with the idea that they were talked about on Hockey Night in Canada.

In Response to Re: Ference- Good Cop / Bad Team Mate : While he caught a huge amount of flak for the Dipietro signing and it's length in particular,it now seems he may have been a groundbreaker in that regard.It seems as if many GM's are now attempting to sign players to deals of ridiculous lengths in order to ease the yearly payout.Posted by dezaruchi

I respect Ference for what he's said. He's shown the true fortitude of his character as a person, once again. If a team can't police itself, they don't deserve to compete in the game. Just a thought.Posted by everyname

In Response to Re: Ference- Good Cop / Bad Team Mate : Not a bad comparison at all if you ever played at a high level maybe you would understand a little clearer i was just trying to break it down for you but obviously that like beating a dead horse!! i dont even know why i responded to your post or read your posts because you seem to think you know it all!!!!! and your right everybody saw the hit theres nothing to hide or deny so why would a teamate have to speakup against his teamate then???? think about what your saying there you snake!!! Posted by uppercut

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhgggggg......really?

Well then, I suggest putting a disclaimer with all future posts alerting other posters that if they haven't played a high enough level of hockey that they might not understand you. That would be helpful. I wasted a lot of time reading your comparison and responding, when all along, I was incapable of understanding it on account of only playing college level hockey.

It was Garth Snow that signed the contract, not Milbury, and the deal, as with most of the extremely long-term deals, have been widely panned. No, Milbury's GM days are more lovelingly remembered on Long Island for the Yashin trade and subsequent long-term desaster of a deal, Dealing Luongo for a couple of second-line wingers so he could draft Dipietro instead of Heatly, and many more gems. But since you don't know who made the deal, and actually seem to think it's a good one, maybe Milbury does actually have greater hockey knowledge than yourself. Nonetheless, Paille knows he broke the guy's nose, everyone knows it was a hit to the head, and it broke the rules, just as a trip or fight... it's pretty well defined. Hockey players aren't cavemen, they have brains, and unlike what Don and Mike said, there isn't going to be some crazy freak-out in the Bruins dressing room. Ference spoke out in support of what almost everyone wants - less concussions - and I'm sure all the guys are having fun with the idea that they were talked about on Hockey Night in Canada. In Response to Re: Ference- Good Cop / Bad Team Mate :Posted by OatesCam

You're right and I guess it doesn't help my argument for Milbury that I assumed it was him that signed the deal which,at the time was outrageous.Regardless of his bad deals,I like to still cling to the belief that Milbury and all others who have coached in the NHL,know more about the game than me.I applaud you for being smarter than them.As for the Paille hit I've been trying to avoid speaking out about it because I wasn't interested in getting into an endless debate about it ,due to the fact that it was so questionable.But screw it,here goes.i thought it was a fine hit.He made shoulder to shoulder contact with a player that was reaching for the puck.While it may have been a violent hit with an unfortunate outcome,a player has to be aware of the situation he puts himself in.The puck was still in the vicinity so there is a huge difference between that hit and Cooke on Savard.Bergeron was hit from behind after a race for the puck so that hit has no bearing either .So guys in the Bruins dressing room have been hurt by DIRTY hits.What's that got to do with Paille,who's doing everything in his power to cling to a spot in the lineup?You claim the rule is pretty well defined.I see it as anything but.Bottom line,I just don't think there was any positive to be taken from Ference's statements regarding the hit.While some of you see it as refreshing for him to speak out,I see it as needless controversy that could've been avoided by saying "I'd rather not comment until seeing a replay"or something similar to that.If you can explain to me what good has come of this,I'm all ears.And yeah,I might not know much about hockey because I forgot that it was Snow who signed Dipietro.What I do know is how to treat a friend/teammate.

I understand your perspective and it's not a bad one. I dissagree and I like Ference's words for two reasons: 1) it's nice to hear a hockey player state the truth instead of polite cliches like they usually do. 2) It's class. When Cooke hit Savard I said to myself and out loud, 'how can his teamates stand by him?' Bill Guerin was the only one I respected, and I always respect him. Paille's hit was not even close to as bad as Cooke's or the Bergeron hit, but it was a hit to the head, it broke bones in the guy's face. I don't think he meant to injure the guy, but he was careless. The players have to learn that when there is a chance you might hit your opponent's head in that way, you just don't throw the check. People are saying he upset the room by speaking the truth. I think just the opposite. He's shown he's a stand up guy who defends his principles. It's like if your wife asks you if she looks fat in her jeans. If she looks fat, tell her. politely. Then when she looks hot, tell her that too. She will admire you for having the balls to tell the truth and your compliment will have meaning. Paille knows he hurt a guy, just like your wife knows she's had too many Christmas cupcakes and needs some more pilates. And when Ference sticks up for him the next time, he will know it's because he wants to and not because of some 'code'.

In Response to Re: Ference- Good Cop / Bad Team Mate : You're right and I guess it doesn't help my argument for Milbury that I assumed it was him that signed the deal which,at the time was outrageous.Regardless of his bad deals,I like to still cling to the belief that Milbury and all others who have coached in the NHL,know more about the game than me.I applaud you for being smarter than them.As for the Paille hit I've been trying to avoid speaking out about it because I wasn't interested in getting into an endless debate about it ,due to the fact that it was so questionable.But screw it,here goes.i thought it was a fine hit.He made shoulder to shoulder contact with a player that was reaching for the puck.While it may have been a violent hit with an unfortunate outcome,a player has to be aware of the situation he puts himself in.The puck was still in the vicinity so there is a huge difference between that hit and Cooke on Savard.Bergeron was hit from behind after a race for the puck so that hit has no bearing either .So guys in the Bruins dressing room have been hurt by DIRTY hits.What's that got to do with Paille,who's doing everything in his power to cling to a spot in the lineup?You claim the rule is pretty well defined.I see it as anything but.Bottom line,I just don't think there was any positive to be taken from Ference's statements regarding the hit.While some of you see it as refreshing for him to speak out,I see it as needless controversy that could've been avoided by saying "I'd rather not comment until seeing a replay"or something similar to that.If you can explain to me what good has come of this,I'm all ears. And yeah,I might not know much about hockey because I forgot that it was Snow who signed Dipietro.What I do know is how to treat a friend/teammate.Posted by dezaruchi

I understand your perspective and it's not a bad one. I dissagree and I like Ference's words for two reasons: 1) it's nice to hear a hockey player state the truth instead of polite cliches like they usually do. 2) It's class. When Cooke hit Savard I said to myself and out loud, 'how can his teamates stand by him?' Bill Guerin was the only one I respected, and I always respect him. Paille's hit was not even close to as bad as Cooke's or the Bergeron hit, but it was a hit to the head, it broke bones in the guy's face. I don't think he meant to injure the guy, but he was careless. The players have to learn that when there is a chance you might hit your opponent's head in that way, you just don't throw the check. People are saying he upset the room by speaking the truth. I think just the opposite. He's shown he's a stand up guy who defends his principles. It's like if your wife asks you if she looks fat in her jeans. If she looks fat, tell her. politely. Then when she looks hot, tell her that too. She will admire you for having the balls to tell the truth and your compliment will have meaning. Paille knows he hurt a guy, just like your wife knows she's had too many Christmas cupcakes and needs some more pilates. And when Ference sticks up for him the next time, he will know it's because he wants to and not because of some 'code'. In Response to Re: Ference- Good Cop / Bad Team Mate :Posted by OatesCam

Your wife sounds like quite a lady if you can tell her she looks fat and live to talk about it.As I feel Ference should've done,I prefer to just change the subject when my lady asks me a question like that.I guess we'll have to disagree on this one.Cheers.

In Response to Re: Ference- Good Cop / Bad Team Mate : Whatever snake im not talking about other posts im talking about yours as you seem to be full of yourself and seem to be a real good talker,( full of yap with no snap) and what college was that COCONUT COLLEGE get a grip buddy. you back AF as it is pretty clear that you were just like him in the dressing room full of yourself and cant keep your mouth shut. why dont you go over to pakistan and promote peace you slimy snake. Posted by uppercut

What's your problem with Fletch?The fact that he's thoughtful and articulate or the fact he played far better hockey than you gave him credit for?You guys don't agree but a hissy-fit doesn't seem neccessary.He and I don't agree regarding AF but I'm not sulking about it.Why's it bother you so much?

In Response to Re: Ference- Good Cop / Bad Team Mate : Whatever snake im not talking about other posts im talking about yours as you seem to be full of yourself and seem to be a real good talker,( full of yap with no snap) and what college was that COCONUT COLLEGE get a grip buddy. you back AF as it is pretty clear that you were just like him in the dressing room full of yourself and cant keep your mouth shut. why dont you go over to pakistan and promote peace you slimy snake. Posted by uppercut

Wow. A new front-runner for biggest crybaby on the board. Pull it together man. All I said was that your family dinner party idea, or whatever it was, was a silly comparison. Don't come unglued over it. Name-calling anonymously on this board is typically seen as the last resort of spoiled child that can't back up his argument. 'Go to Pakistan??' Huh? How old are you?

I have otherwise enjoyed this discussion and appreciate the sensible arguments from dezaruchi and cowboys, who I disagree with here but always respect and enjoy. Uppercut, you could learn a lot from those two.

Ultimately I wish Ference had just deflected the issue as well, but I just can't bring myself to criticize him for his honestly on this issue. And, I do resent Don Cherry's totally over-the-top reaction and suggestion that the Bruins 'don't need that guy' because of this single incident.